Ship Shape

A hull of a hotel deal in the Navy Yard

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nside Charlestown Navy Yard, the Constitution Inn is just a block from the harbor, steps from the USS Constitution and the Freedom Trail, and within fairly easy walking distance of the North End and the TD Garden; the MBTA runs a water shuttle to Long Wharf in the heart of the tourist and financial districts, a fun trip for dirt-cheap regular T fare. In a graceful stone building that once housed active-duty Navy personnel, the hotel is a surprising deal with rooms that are unusually large by Boston standards, and amenities including a full-sized YMCA that shares the space—free for guests—which has an indoor heated four-lane pool, 25 cardio machines, a full-sized basketball court, 42-inch plasma TVs, and fitness classes. There are also microwaves and refrigerators in every room, some of the city’s best skyline views, and employees who have some of the most authentic Boston accents anywhere. There are even deeper discounts on the room rates for active-duty and former servicemembers.

The Cambridge-based Union of Concerned Scientists predicts the number of days over 90 degrees in Boston will triple by 2100, and the city will experience extremely severe coastal flooding once every two or three years. So if you’re going to stay here, do it soon. …